12 Reviews of Christmas - The Santa Clauses: Season Two (2023)

            Hey guys, Chuck here, and this one was definitely going to be on the list for 12 Reviews of Christmas. The second season of the Disney+ Original Series The Santa Clauses ran from November 6th through December 15th, and I had a lot of fun with it. The season saw the returns of Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Austin Kane, Elizabeth Allen-Dick, Devin Bright, Matilda Lawler, Ruby Jay, and Laura San Giacomo, along with newcomers like Eric Stonestreet, Marta Kessler, and Gabriel Iglesias, along with guest appearances by Kevin Pollak, Tracy Morgan, and Michael Dorn. 

        So, after reclaiming the title of Santa, Scott Calvin is still looking to eventually retire, but this time, Scott is looking to begin training his son, Cal, to eventually become the new Santa. Scott's daughter, Sandra, is showing signs of magic and also begins training of her own with La Befana. Unfortunately, Santa's head elf Betty must take a leave, as part of what the elves call "Kribble Krabble." This is where an elf leaves the North Pole for a year, and lives in the human world for that amount of time. And, apparently, both Bernard and Curtis went on Kribble Krabble and didn't come back. But rules are rules, and Betty goes on Kibble Krabble, leaving Noel in charge while she's gone. 

       Things unravel pretty quick, as Noel is clearly out of his depth in keeping things under control, Cal is struggling to focus on his Santa training, as he wants to spend all his time with his girlfriend Riley, and worst of all, a nutcracker went missing, as Gary pawned it to cover some gambling debt. And, this is no ordinary nutcracker, but the container for Magnus Antas/Mad Santa. 

        The legend of Magnus Antas is as such: years ago, he was a very good Santa, beloved by all. He even led the elves to the North Pole. Unfortunately, he started making deals with gnomes, much to the chagrin of the elves. Things began to unravel, as he and the gnomes made a play to turn the naughty children of the world into nutcrackers. Despite the pleas of the elves, the Legendary Council is unable to move directly against Magnus Antas, leaving the elves, in an effort led by Betty, to have to stop him themselves. With some help from La Befana, who renounces her position as a Legendary Figure, and Magnus Antas, along with a gnome named Olga, is turned into a nutcracker. 

        As for how he got free? Well, the snow globes that were given as Christmas presents at the end of the first season had some North Pole magic in them, and it was that North Pole magic that set Magnus Antas free. Where? At a Christmas theme park run by Kris Moreno, who saw Scott deliver the kayak on Christmas Eve during the events of the first Santa Clause movie. Magnus Antas, ultimately, has a plan to return to the North Pole, usurp Scott as Santa, and reclaim his position as Santa. Whoops. 

        So, this season is a massive improvement on the original season, as it has a villain with a direct tie to the lore of Santa. I like the idea that a past Santa that was overthrown because he went power mad is our antagonist this time, as it really sets a precedence of what makes Scott the best Santa. Plus, Eric Stonestreet gives a very humorous performance as Magnus Antas, and his deep voice and over-the-top way of saying "ho-ho-ho" got more than a few laughs out of me. I also liked how Magnus Antas spends a majority of his time with Kris, and I think that this was one of my favorite new characters of the season. Gabriel Iglesias/Fluffy did an incredible job as this Christmas theme park operator who just loves the joy of Christmas, Santa, and the holiday spirit. Honestly, this season is worth watching for Fluffy's performance alone. It's that fun. 

         I also liked seeing the return of some of the Legendary Council, such as Cupid, Sandman, and the Easter Bunny. Having both Kevin Pollak and Michael Dorn return as Cupid and Sandman from Santa Clause 2 and 3 was great, and while the design took a bit to grow on me, I thought that Tracy Morgan was pretty funny as the Easter Bunny. It was also neat to learn that La Befana was once on the Legendary Council, and Laura San Giacomo is easily more entertaining in this season than she was in the previous season. I loved her scenes with Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra, and their dynamic was definitely one of the highlights of the season for me. 

        One thing that I found interesting is that Magnus Antas left his amulet behind when he was turned on by the elves, and the whole season is spent trying to put together what the amulet is. And, it's something we've seen before. It turns out that the cocoa mug that Judy gave Scott to drink cocoa out of when he first arrived at the North Pole in the first Santa Clause movie is the amulet of Magnus Antas, and is the source of his Santa magic. I mean, what a great tie in to the original movie, and what a way to make something that seemed mundane more important than we previously thought it was. 

        I also enjoyed the family dynamic of Scott and his family in this season, especially the dynamic between Scott and his kids. Both Austin Kane and Elizabeth Allen-Dick were absolutely fantastic once again, and I thoroughly enjoyed how they had a genuine story arc aside from adjusting to life away from their childhood home at the North Pole. Tim Allen and Elizabeth Mitchell were also fantastic as Scott and Carol, and I absolutely love seeing the two of them on screen together throughout the season. Both Devin Bright and Matilda Lawler as Noel and Betty were great, and I liked how their arc in the season ended with both leaving the North Pole, as while Betty enjoyed Kribble Krabble, the feeling of not being with Noel made it feel lonely, and Noel was pretty much beside himself with Betty not being there. So, they go together, so Betty can finish Kribble Krabble, and they can enjoy their long overdue honeymoon.

         But, what is Magnus Antas' outcome? Well, he and Kris become partners in running Kris's park, and the two work together to make the park the best it can be. Also, the elves and gnomes finally make peace after years of animosity, and Cal is given the okay to live a normal life with Riley, and the choice of whether or not to take on the responsibilities of Santa down the road, meaning that Scott will continue to be Santa for quite some time. I like it, happy endings all around. 

         Overall, this was probably one of the better of Disney's releases in 2023. Definitely worth watching for the holiday season, especially if you're a fan of The Santa Clause franchise. I'm giving season two of The Santa Clauses a rating of 5/5. Log on to Disney+, and give it a watch. 

         Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and 12 Reviews of Christmas will be back tomorrow with my review of the movie Fred Claus.